Acupuncture needles are quite unlike other needles used in the medical field, and as a result require quite different handling. Typically, acupuncture needles are somewhat smaller and thinner than other needles used in the medical field, such as hypodermic needles. Moreover, hypodermic needles must include a fitting at one end for attachment to a syringe. This, in combination with the requirement for a hollow needle, results in a somewhat larger device than the typical acupuncture needle.
The standard practice in the acupuncture field is to use a needle insertion tube in order to aid the acupuncturist in the precise placement of the acupuncture needle. Whether the needle be disposable or reusable, the procedure is much the same. The needle is first removed from a sterile storage container by hand and installed within a separate insertion tube for placement into the patient. The insertion tube is then placed at the desired location on the patient, and the needle is pushed through the insertion tube into the patient. This procedure requiring the transferal of the needle from one device to another prior to use, results in a considerable amount of handling of the needle prior to use and thereby increases the chances for contamination of the needle. While such a procedure may be essential in the handling of a hypodermic needle which must be attached to a syringe prior to use, it is not seen to be the optimum procedure for use with acupuncture needles.
The need arises for a device which is capable of containing several acupuncture needles in a sterile environment, and also allowing those needles to be dispensed singly as desired by the acupuncturist. The device should provide for a minimum of handling of the needles, particularly the needle tip. Such an acupuncture needle storage and dispensing device should be made of inexpensive materials in order to allow for single use and disposal, or alternatively of materials sufficiently durable to permit sterilization within an autoclave or like device. The device should preferably be formed of a single component in order to provide for more efficient sterilization in the case of a reusable device.